Posted on 03/29/2023 7:59:52 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) got into a heated exchange over the ban of the China-owned app TikTok in the U.S.
Paul hit the brakes on Hawley’s proposed bill to ban the platform, arguing it would limit free speech and emulate censorship from the Chinese government.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Hawley requested unanimous consent on the No TikTok on United States Devices Act, legislation he introduced in January, warning that American data is being collected on the social media app by the platform’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance.
“We acted just a few months ago with a sense of urgency because we decided TikTok was a national security threat,” Hawley said. “And we were right to act just those few months ago. And now, we must take the next step — to ban TikTok nationwide to protect the security of every single American.”
However, Paul interjected, saying it would go against the First Amendment.
“We should not let fear of communism cause us to ignore our First Amendment protections of free speech. This legislation would require our president to ban TikTok,” Paul said. “I ask the American people, do you want Joe Biden to be your censor? Do you want a president of either party to decide what you are allowed to say and hear? Who will you entrust to save you from your own eyes and ears?”
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
RAND:
“I hope saner minds will reflect on which is more dangerous: videos of teenagers dancing or the precedent of the U.S. government banning speech,” Paul wrote. “For me, it’s an easy answer, I will defend the Bill of Rights against all comers, even, if need be, from members of my own party.”
He added: “If you don’t like TikTok or Facebook or YouTube, don’t use them. But don’t think any interpretation of the Constitution gives you the right to ban them.”
Indeed - the First Amendment protects the right of adversarial foreign governments to spy on the United States.
Hawley is following in the footsteps of the infamous Deep State agent Donald Trump!
Donald Trump-era ban on TikTok dropped by Joe Biden
U.S. Judge Halts Trump's TikTok Ban, The 2nd Court To Fully Block The Action
“Paul hit the brakes on Hawley’s proposed bill to ban the platform, arguing it would limit free speech and emulate censorship from the Chinese government.”
Geeze Rand, any comment on the J6 political prisoners?
Ban it on government devices and ban CCP affiliated companies from operating in the USA.
I’d rather have TikTok and Chinese minders than the totalitarian bill from hell that ‘deals with TikTok (one that will be used against American citizens)
Rand is right, again.
It doesn't really have anything to do with TikTok (I was wondering why when I first heard about it why our Senate was turning on their Chinese Masters) What it really is is the complete destruction of privacy and the First amendment.
To boil it down to its essence:
If you use an electronic device to communicate ANYTHING that our rulers (elected, appointed or bureaucrats) don't like, they can throw you in prison for 20 years and fine you $1,000,000.00 WITHOUT TRIAL, without proof.
And "AI" will continuously monitor the entire electronic spectrum for 'wrong-think". What they intend makes what the NSA , FBI. CIA (and Google) have been doing so far look like no more than a milder version of "Mrs. Kravitz" looking out the window at the Steven's house in the old Bewitched tv series.
Yes, that would be a much better way to frame the discussion - the merits of this bill and its overall implications, not the merits / demerits of merely banning TikTok. Allowing any certain foreign government owned company to operate within the United States that may have adversarial intent is certainly not a matter of free speech or the First Amendment.
I trust Rand’s judgement.
Remember that Joseph Stolen killed the Oracle deal to take it over.
That's how Rand Paul should have framed the argument - instead the way this sounds it is like he is saying the First Amendment protects TikTok (CCP spyware) in of itself to operate within the US. That's just baloney. Adversarial foreign governments' spying and manipulation to undermine our national security is not protected by our Constitution. "If you don't like TikTok don't use it" is a ridiculous argument against this bill - completely undermines the legitimate reasons and arguments to oppose it.
Rand is now p0wn3d by the CCP?
TikTok is the 9/11 to introduce some new security garbage further eroding our God given rights.
Like Youtube shorts is any less disgusting than the ccp. Google hates America just as much as the CCP.
Rand is correct. Rand is the only American in the Senate.
During World War II we didn’t give the Germans or Japanese the right to broadcast their propaganda in our country. It was never a question of ‘free speech’.
Foreign countries don’t have ‘free speech’ rights within the US...
And we didn’t create bills ‘to control’ German propaganda that were really bills designed to control speech among Americans.
We need to find the person of people who came up with this bill... most likely the staff of some elected official and someone behind that person. That person or group could be the well spring of the evil we’re seeing come out of Washington.
Whoever wrote it, they really know their stuff. There don't seem to be any loopholes. If your "Smart Refrigerator" overhears you mumbling something that our masters don't like, they can throw you in prison. You don't have to post 'your treason' on FR or twitter etc. to be hauled away.
This bill, from what we know so far, is far MORE than banning TikTok - it gives the deep-state total control over internet censorship within the USA.
Once TicToc is banned the president is SET!! EVERYONE needs to look at what has happened with the Patriot Act AND the NSA both being used against American citizens!! Ban TicToc AND when the Dems are in charge you will be looking at exactly what happened to Parler on EVERY DAMN conservative app. we DO NOT want to open this Pandora’s box!!
The bill is a stealth coup by the Deep State.
As far as China goes does anybody think they can’t get what they want from American soc. media companies? They may have to work a little harder to hack their servers. Or just pay them.
They dony care about China.
They get paid by China.
They are going to use this on us, just like the 87000 new IRS agents.
We are their enemy.
China is their friend.
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